Archive for February, 2011

As time was expiring on Saturday night's Rainbow Warrior basketball game, play-by-play announcer Jim Leahey gave brief reference to how K5's exclusive claim to UH sportscasts also was expiring. This summer, Oceanic Time Warner gains full rights to UH's TV rights.

The best thing would be to keep the arrangement, with Oceanic outsourcing the production to K5 — and not just for the benefit of households that don't have cable. K5 and its ancestors not only have chronicled UH's sports for more than a generation, but helped foster their growth and popularity.

We'll soon find out what will happen.

But if Oceanic decides to take over the whole package, it has been suggested that it should expand its programming, including adding more channels. As ESPN has proven, it is OK to compete against yourself. With additional channels, Oceanic could show UH events simultaneously. At the high school level, Oceanic could show Division I and Division II playoff events at the same time, too. Costly? Sure. But that's the price of wanting it all.

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Former UH QB Tyler Graunke will be playing for the Green Bay Blizzard of the Indoor Football League.

• NFL teams timed Greg Salas' time in the 40 yard dash between 4.49 seconds and 4.54 seconds during his first — and best — attempt at today's NFL Scouting Combine. There was some drama when NFL.com initially reported that Salas ran "5.0." It turned out that NFL.com had Salas at 4.50, but a statistician mistakenly punched in only the "5" and "0." Salas had a 37-inch vertical jump, 10-foot broad jump, and times of 6.65 seconds in the three-cone drill (seventh best among the receivers), and 11.21 in the 60-yard shuttle (ninth). He initially had an unofficial time of 4.10 in the 20-yard shuttle, but then was given a slower figure.

• NFL teams credited Alex Green's 40 time between 4.46 seconds and 4.48 seconds. He ran the three-cone drill in 6.91 seconds (seventh best among running backs), and went 9 feet 6 in the broad jump and 36 inches in the vertical jump.

• As expected, Kealoha Pilares did not participate in the speed tests at today's NFL Scouting Combine. Pilares was cleared to run a couple of weeks ago after suffering a torn PCL in the Hawaii Bowl.

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Cam Newton ran a 4.58 (unofficial) in the 40 on his first attempt. He originally was timed at 4.60 but then his number was adjusted by .02. He ran a 4.59 on his second attempt. But he had an impressive broad jump of 10-6.

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Happy birthday to Jennifer Kelleher, your typical Irish-Filipina from Waianae who works for a New York newspaper.

Arena Football League training camps have opened, and UH is represented in the Bay Area.

Ray Hisatake, Aaron Kia and Francis Maka are members of the San Jose SaberCats, who return after a two-season hiatus. In the AFL, there are eight players on each side. On offense, there must be at least three offensive linemen. Hisatake plays guard, which is really a tackle. Kia is a tight end, which means he aligns as a guard but is eligible to catch passes. (The guard who raises his hand before the play is designated as the tight end.) Maka is a fullback, defensive end and linebacker.

The SaberCats' quarterback is Mark Grieb, who was UH offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich's SaberCat teammate several years ago. At team meetings, Grieb wears Eo Na Toa apparel sent to him by Rolovich, according to Hisatake.

Also, former UH slotback Mike Washington is an inside receiver for the Pittsburgh Power.

The UH football team's clinic/social for coaches will be Friday, March 11, starting at 6:30 p.m. It will follow UH's second practice of spring training. (The clinic/social previously was scheduled for March 12.)

All of the Warrior football coaches will be available for group sessions to discuss strategies and techniques.

The fee is $20, and includes refreshments. For details, call (808) 956-6508.

The Warriors are trying to finalize plans for their April 9 scrimmage/practice in Hilo. The event likely will be held at mid-day. The Kamehameha-Hawaii campus is one of the sites being considered.

An early step in the job-seeking process is the interview, and three former UH football players — Greg Salas, Kealoha Pilares and Alex Green — should do well when they meet with representatives from NFL teams at today's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

All have good-character ratings and clean abstracts. All come from good family backgrounds.

Journeys are easier when the paths are not bumpy.

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In most cases, a losing record is the primary cause for a coaching change. That helps extend the honeymoon period for the successor's first season. When June Jones took over in 1999, all he needed to do was win one game to exceed his predecessor. That he won nine games his first year led to "June Jones for Governor" bumper stickers.

Still, tolerant support from fans and administrators does not always translate into success, which is why it is a significant accomplishment that the Rainbow Warrior basketball team is poised to clinch a WAC Tournament berth if it can beat Louisiana Tech tonight. UH has managed to overcome injuries and other circumstances. It's been a good start.

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It appears that at the end of UH indoor sports' season, renovations will begin in the Stan Sheriff Center. There's even talk of replacing the scoreboard.